Passengers faced chaotic scenes at Majorca Airport on Tuesday evening after a suspected drone sighting forced a temporary suspension of all flights. The incident, which began around 6pm UK time, led to at least 12 flights being diverted to other Spanish airports, including Ibiza and Mahon.
FlightRadar24 reported that operations at Palma de Mallorca Airport were suspended due to a drone in the airspace, with the last landing at 18:58 local time. A flight from Gatwick was among those delayed, while a Ryanair flight from Madrid was diverted to Ibiza after cabin crew informed passengers of a drone sighting.
Spanish emergency services conducted a search of the area but found nothing suspicious. Enaire, the air traffic control agency, confirmed the suspension was a safety precaution and announced that operations resumed after 35 minutes. Aena, which runs Spanish airports, stated that the situation returned to normal following safety checks.
The incident comes amid broader concerns over drone disruptions at European airports, with some officials linking interference to Russia. Passengers on diverted flights faced delays as planes refuelled before returning to Palma.
